There are several job fairs, workshops and other events this month to help you discover your next career path.
Mark your calendar, RSVP as needed, and please help spread the word! For one-on-one assistance, contact your local Employment Advisor.

Another great place to look for jobs is SC Works. For the first 24 hours that a job is posted the position is in a veteran’s hold; meaning only veterans have the ability to see the position and apply. If you do not already have a free SC Works account, and would like one, click here.

Frequently businesses are hesitant to hire veterans because of misconceptions about the individual’s character, leadership style and a perceived “baggage” that comes with an employee who is a veteran or service member. Below are five common myths and their facts.

Myth 1: Veterans that have a disability require special accommodations

Fact: Many people assume that a disability is visible like a prosthetic leg or blindness, but in reality there are so many disabilities that are unseen like hearing loss, PTSD, depression and even diabetes. A March 2003 Work Trends report found that the vast majority, 73 percent, of employers reported that their workers with disabilities did not require accommodations. Even if special accommodations were to be made, many fear that they will be expensive adjustments, but actually statistics show that 15 percent of accommodations cost nothing and 50 percent cost less than $500. Another way to think about accommodations is that employers give special accommodations to all employees. This may be a flexible work schedule, not making a person with a bad back lift a heavy box or even adjusting the display settings on a monitor to help a person with bad eyesight.

Myth 2: All veterans have PTSD and are unemployable

Fact: In all actuality, many Americans have this disability with no prior military experience. While some estimates show that 11 to 20 percent of service members potentially have PTSD after being deployed, you are looking at a sample of the entire population which estimates that about 8 percent of Americans have had PTSD at some point of their life. Many people don’t disclose having this disability because there is a negative stigma regarding psychological health care. However, the reality of PTSD is the challenge of managing an intense condition caused by traumatic events which change how the brain functions, and in turn how you react to the world. Many people assume that individuals with PTSD are unemployable. Because of this, people who suffer from it refuse to seek care, when in fact seeking care can actually strengthen and protect their career by minimizing the impact of the symptoms on their performance.

Myth 3: Training and deployments interrupt daily workflow

Fact: Often, training doesn’t require any leave of absence from the workplace. They are typically once a month during a weekend and depending on the branch there may be time during the summer. If an active service member is going to be deployed they will have ample notice to allow the workplace to find a replacement for the duration of the deployment if needed.

Myth 4: Military skills don’t translate into the civilian workforce

Fact: It is well known that veterans and service members bring a plethora of skills to the table, but many times employers believe that those skills don’t translate into a civilian job. In addition, people frequently think that if you are in the military you serve in combat, however, many military roles include finance, digital broadcasting and mechanical engineering to name a few. The 300,000 veterans that transition out of military service each year bring these workplace skills with them that could benefit a job within that industry.

Fact: The assumption is that all military leadership is autocratic meaning a single individual makes all decisions with little input from group members. Contradicting this is the reality that military leadership is characteristic of any demonstrated leadership with qualities including ambition, drive and tenacity, self-confidence, psychological openness, and realism and appetite for learning, but with the addition of respecting rank and obeying orders.

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) has enhanced its powerful online job-matching website SCWorks.org with the comprehensive search engine SCWorks.jobs. SCWorks.jobs allows job seekers to look for work by high-demand industry using their individual job parameters and priorities.

DEW worked with nonprofit employer group DirectEmployers Association (DE) and the National Labor Exchange on SCWorks.jobs so the available jobs listed on the site are only from employers verified by SCWorks.org or DE’s JobCentral.org. This new web tool will open more pathways for job seekers and employers to the state’s leading job-matching website, SCWorks.org.

DEW also created new websites that align with the industry clusters identified by the S.C. Talent Pipeline initiative which identified high-growth, high-demand jobs in South Carolina. The industry specific sites include:

SCWorks-Construction.jobs

SCWorks-Healthcare.jobs

SCWorks-IT.jobs

SCWorks-Manufacturing.jobs

SCWorks-Transportation.jobs

SCWorks-Veterans.jobs

“These new websites put the jobs posted at SCWorks.org just a click or two away, making it easy for people to search for specific jobs. It also helps employers attract the right candidate for a job by giving them easy access to information about available positions,” said DEW Executive Director Cheryl Stanton.

These new websites are easily viewable on smartphones and other mobile devices. In addition, they feature social media links, allowing users to quickly share job postings via Facebook, Twitter, email and more.

Additionally, the new SCWorks-veterans.jobs helps South Carolina’s veterans translate their military experience into jobs in the civilian world. The Military Occupation Code Crosswalk function allows veterans to enter the type of work they performed in the armed services and receive a list of civilian jobs that require those skills. The system also translates military occupation codes into skills employers are looking for in potential employees.

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About DEW

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) is putting South Carolinians to work. The agency invests in building a pipeline of quality workers, matches workers with jobs, and is a bridge for individuals who find themselves out of work for no fault of their own. This promotes financial stability and economic prosperity for employers, individuals and communities. DEWis dedicated to advancing South Carolina through services that meet the needs of the state’s businesses, jobseekers and those looking to advance their careers.

There are several job fairs, workshops and other events this month to help you discover your next career path.

Mark your calendar, RSVP as needed, and please help spread the word! For one-on-one assistance, contact your local Employment Advisor.

Another great place to look for jobs is SC Works. For the first 24 hours that a job is posted the position is in a veteran’s hold; meaning only veterans have the ability to see the position and apply. If you do not already have a free SC Works account, and would like one, click here.

A great place to look for jobs is SC Works. For the first 24 hours that a job is posted the position is in a veteran’s hold; meaning only veterans have the ability to see the position and apply. If you do not already have a free SC Works account, and would like one, click here.

There are several job fairs, workshops and other events this month to help you discover your next career path.

Mark your calendar, RSVP as needed, and please help spread the word! For one-on-one assistance, contact your local Employment Advisor.

Another great place to look for jobs is SC Works. For the first 24 hours that a job is posted the position is in a veteran’s hold; meaning only veterans have the ability to see the position and apply. If you do not already have a free SC Works account, and would like one, click here.

There are several job fairs, workshops and other events this month to help you discover your next career path.

Mark your calendar, RSVP as needed, and please help spread the word! For one-on-one assistance, contact your local Employment Advisor.

Another great place to look for jobs is SC Works. For the first 24 hours that a job is posted the position is in a veteran’s hold; meaning only veterans have the ability to see the position and apply. If you do not already have a free SC Works account, and would like one, click here.

Military Career & Resource Fair at the Newberry Armory on Wednesday, September 14

Newberry — The S.C. National Guard in partnership with SC Works will be hosting a Military job Military Career and Resource Fair at the Newberry Armory on Wednesday, September 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Although directed at veterans, all jobseekers are invited to attend.

The event is open to all veterans, active duty and retired service members from all branches, their family members and the general public. This is an opportunity for job seekers to meet face-to-face with the employers. Everyone should bring plenty of copies of their resume and come prepared to make a good impression.

In addition to local employers and employment representatives, military attendees will find an onsite I.D. card station, resources for VA benefits, behavioral health, homeless veterans, education, financial counseling, health and wellness and more.

For more information, interested individuals may call 803-299-4283 or drop by their local SC Works office. SC Works provides workshops and information and can assist the jobseeker in preparing for attending a job fair.

There are several job fairs, workshops and other events this month to help you discover your next career path.

Mark your calendar, RSVP as needed, and please help spread the word! For one-on-one assistance, contact your local Employment Advisor.

Another great place to look for jobs is SC Works. For the first 24 hours that a job is posted the position is in a veteran’s hold; meaning only veterans have the ability to see the position and apply. If you do not already have a free SC Works account, and would like one, click here.